Issaquah City Council members met with local state legislators on Monday at Tibetts Creek Manor.

During the dinner meeting, Council President Maureen McCarry and Mayor Ava Frisinger brought three main issues up to the state legislators.

The I-90 undercrossing, the Issaquah Hatchery and the impact tolling could have on I-90 — especially through and around Issaquah — were all discussed.

City officials heard good news about the hatchery, bad news about the undercrossing and mixed arguments about I-90 tolling.

“There is a huge backload and limited capacity,” Rep. Glenn Anderson said of the I-90 undercrossing project.

With budget shortfalls expected next year and money already stretched to the limit, funding for many construction projects will be cut, officials said.

The cancelled plans for the Southeast Bypass could also affect funding for the undercrossing project.

“Issaquah many have a bit of a credibility issue,” Sen. Cheryl Pflug said. “That hasn’t really helped. When we enter into these types of agreements, we expect everyone to follow through.”

However the council did receive a bit more encouraging news from the legislators about funding for the Issaquah Hatchery and dam improvements needed upstream.

The money would come out of the state’s capital budget, something that may work in Issaquah’s favor.

“The capital budget largely has been not a matter of politics,” Rep. Jay Rodne said. “It’s largely bi-partisan.”

However he did add that there really isn’t much money to spend in the capital budget for the next two years.

“We’ll work with the city to see if there is any way,” Rodne said.

There is also the possibility of moving some money from other projects that may not be as beneficial as work done to the Issaquah Creek.

“There is quite a bit of natural habitat and that’s good,” Sen. Pflug said.

“We’ve done quite a bit of restoration,” Mayor Frisinger added.

Tolling, which came at the end of the evening, brought about the most discord among the candidates.

While some candidates such as Rep. Judy Clibborn, who helped write the bill, were very much in favor of tolling 520 and didn’t believe it automatically meant tolling on I-90, other candidates such as Sen. Pflug believed that there were other solutions.

“If what you create is something that only the wealthy can use during the peak hours, then you have failed,” Sen. Pflug said.

“If you have a low enough toll you actually encourage drivers because they are so excited to get through,” Rep. Clibborn countered. “Congestion pricing actually creates options.”

Issaquah Councilman Josh Schaer pointed out that more information was probably needed on the tolling issue, and a better questionnaire than had been used by the state to gage public opinion.

“The questions were really loaded,” Schaer said. “You hear from the studies that everyone was really excited but really the questions were like would you like to see tolling or see the bridge fall down.”

Sen. Pflug added later that much of the discussion of tolls really centers around the gubernatorial election and whether the next governor would sign off on tolls.

“There are other options that haven’t been explored,” she said.